Filling-feeder for filling-replenishing looms.



No. 830,397. PATENTED SEPT. 4, 19067 E. s. WOOD. V FILLING FEEDER FOR FILLING REPLBNIS-HING LOOMS.

a APPLICATION FILED DEC-26, 1905.

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No. 830,397. PATBNTED SEPT. 4, 1906. I

E. s. WOOD.

' FILLING FEEDER POE FILLING REPLENISHING LOOMS.

APPLIOATION FILED DE0.26,'1905,

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EVERETT S. WOOD, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO DRAPER COMPANY, OF HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPO- RATION OF MAINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 4, 1906.

Application filed December 26, 1905. Serial No. 293,245.

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EVERETT S. W001), a

citizen of the United States, and a resident of Hopedale, county of Worcester, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Filling-Feeders for Filling-Replenishing Looms, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention has for its particular object the production of improved means for holding the tips of bobbins or cop-skewers in the filling-feeder of a filling-replenishing loom, whereby the filling end is controlled in a better manner and its catching on adjacent parts is prevented. I have also provided means for imparting an augmented pressure to the endmost filling-carrier of the series in' the feeder to thereby prevent any rotative movement of the said filling-carrier while it is in position to be transferred.

Apparatus of a somewhat similar character is shown in my United States Patent No. 759,146, dated May 3, 1904, and also in patents to Stimpson, Nos. 755,252 and 769,57 3, to which reference may be had, and in my present invention I sustain the tips of the filling-carriers, whether bobbins or copskewers, by a series of spring-controlled holders mounted to rock on one of the plates of the feeder.

Certain novel features of construction, however, are herein embodied in the tipholders, whereby improved and novel results are secured which give a more certain and eificient operation in the loom.

The various novel features of my inven tion will be fully described in the subjoined specification and particularly pointed out in the following claims.

Figure 1 is a front elevation and partia section of the replenishing mechanism of a loom of the Northrop typesuch, for instance, as shown in United States Patent No. 529,940, dated November 27, 1894with a filling-feeder embodying my present invention, the sectional portion being taken on line 1 1, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a partial inner side elevation of the end orplate of the feeder on which the tip-holders are mounted, one of the holders being omitted for clearness of illustration. Fig. 3 is a detail of the outer side of the plate and. some of the tip-holders thereon. Fig. 4 is a detail looking toward the outer ends of several tip-holders, showing the-manner in which a filling end is led from both a bobbin and a copskewer. Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the tipholders viewing its face; and Fig. 6 is a similar view, but looking at the back of the tipholder.

Referring to Fig. 1, the feeder-stand A supporting the horizontal stud a, on which are rotatably mounted the hubs a and a of the end plates a and a, respectively, the disk 6 and stud 6 by which the filling ends are held, the transferrer f, mounted to rock on the stud f to effect a transfer of filling, and the peripheral pockets 2 in the plate a to receive the heads of the filling-carriers b, whether bobbins or cop-skewers, may be and are of wellknown construction in N orthrop looms and operate in usual manner.

The plates a a of the feeder are rotated in unison by well-known means and present the filling-carriers one by, one in position to be transferred from the feeder to the running shuttle. The plate a is herein shown as constructed substantially as in my patent No. 759,146 referred to, it having radial openings at opposite the pockets 2*, an annular rib a at the inner ends of the openings on the outer side of the plate, and socketed spring-seats a, arranged in a circle spanning the openings a", each seat receiving a spiral spring s cooperating with a tip holder niovably mounted in each opening (L12 of the ate.

p The tip-holders herein shown are in certain features very similar to those shown in the patent, each being shaped to present an elongated body h movable freely in an opening a and transversely grooved at its inner end at h to embrace and rock on the rib a, the spring 8X entering a recess 7L2, Fig. 6, in the back of the holder, the face of the holder having a curved rib 7L3 to form a seat for the blunt tip of a bobbin and a longitudinal seat 7L for a cop-skewer tip.

The outer end of the holder is widened laterally and extended outwardly at 1 in my present invention, and at one side 'of the face of'the holder a relatively high guard-shoulder 2 is formed, having an overhanging lip 3, (clearly shown in Fig. 6,) said lip extending at Figs. 2, 5, and 6.)

substantially right angles to a lateral lug 4 and projecting at each end beyond the lug.

On the opposite side of the widened part 1 a shoulder 5 is formed substantially parallel to but not as high as the guard-shoulder 2, this shoulder 5 being on a lateral ear or lug 6, considerably wider than the lug 4 and terminating in a hook 7, shouldered at 8, a deep groove or notch 9 being made in' the ear between the hook and the shoulder 5. (See When the holders are posltioned on the plate a, the lug 4 and ear or lug 6 of each extend laterally across the outer face of the plate at each side of the openings at and limit inward movement of the holder, the lugs 4 and 6 cooperating with the adj acent pointed portions c of plate a, as shown in Fig. 2. By referring to said Fig. 2 it will be seen that the lug 4 extends under the outer corner of the portion a of the plate a and that the adjacent ortion of the lip 3 projects inward beyond t e part a so that at all times the plate portions (L are covered or guarded by the lips, whether the tip-holders are empty or in engagement with a fillingcarrier. This construction makes it impossible for a filling end to get between any of the tip-holders and the portions (L of the plate a, on which they are mounted, for the lips 3, extending beyond the plate, interpose themselves between the filling ends and the points of the plate.

It is important to prevent the filling ends from getting behind the points a, for if they should do so the filling would almost surely be cau ht and pinched, so that upon transfer it won d be broken and a second transfer would be required immediately.

The shoulder 2 is quite high, as will be seen, and this tends to prevent a filling end from sliding off the proper tip-holder as the latter gradually approaches the position from which its filling-carrier is transferred.

The arrow 100, Fig. 2, indicates the direction of rotation of the feeder, and it will be seen that even should a filling end be quite slack it would be held by the shoulder 2 in proper position when that particular tipolder was on the downwardly-moving part of the plate a.

The hook 7 of each holder extends behind the lug 4 of the next adjacent holder, and the adjacent part of the lip 3 of said latter holder overhangs the shoulder 8 of the hook 7 in such a way that the filling end cannot get between the adjacent tip-holders, for the lip 3 by its overhang would simply shed the filling end off. By making the lip long enough it acts as a protection or guard-covering for the hook under it, whether the tip-holder on which the hook is mounted is empty or in use. When the notches 9 are used to lead off the filling ends and the operator inserts the tip of a filling-carrier in a tip-holder, the next one nearest the notch 9 is empty but even then the lip 3 overhangs the hook 7 of the filled holder and prevents the filling end. from getting between the two holders. After the filling-carrier is placed in the feeder and the filling end is drawn into the notch 9 and thence over to the disk I), Fig. 1, the lead of the filling end is such that the slackness of the end would tend to allow the thread to move in the direction of the shoulder 5 rather than in the opposite direction. Consequently if the thread is not absolutely and positively drawn or pulled between the tip-holders at the outset by the operator it is practically lmposslble for it afterward to get between the holders without moving across the face of its own holder, which is prevented by both the shoulders 5 and 2.

When bobbins are used, the blunt tips thereof are inserted in the seats h after the heads have been placed in the pockets 2 of plate a of the feeder, the springs 5 of the holders being compressed when the tip is insorted, and, as shown in Fig. 4, the filling end If is led over the end 1 of the holder between the shoulders 2 and 5. The guard-shoulder 2 prevents any accidental slipping of the filling end at that side during the intermittent rotative movement of the feeder, even should the end be quite slack between the bobbintip and the disk I), as has been explained, the shoulder 5 forming the opposite side of the path for the filling end. A cop-skewer 12*, Fig. 4, has a much sharper tip than a bobbin, and when used the tip is pushed into the seat 72. and the filling end 25 is led through the groove or notch 9, as shown in Fig. 4, and thence to the disk b. The notch or groove serves as a guide for the filling end and maintains it in proper position, and the offset location of the notch has two purposes.

In practice it has been found that if the yarn is led straight off the end of a copskewer it will coil itself about the bare end of the skewer, and by reason of the conical shape thereof the yarn will gradually work off the tip of the skewer and will be worn through by the friction between the copskewer and its tip-holder. To prevent this, the yarn is drawn through the offset notch 9, and when so led off the yarn will not work off the end of the skewer, as described. Secondly, the offsetting of the notch affords more slack for the filling end when the cop-skewer is transferred, this slackness being desirable on account of the character of the yarn winding on the skewer.

It will be seen that the side of the groove 9 adjacent the shoulder 5 isdeepened by the latter, so that a firm and sure guide for the filling end is provided.

In actual practice it is noticed that there is a rotative tendency of the endmost or leading filling-carrier in the feeder, due to the rubbing of the head of the filling-carrier against the abutment against which the head rests when said filling-carrier is in position to be transferred. This rotative movement causes the filling to be wound upon the car rier, drawing the filling end too taut, or it unwinds and makes the filling end improperly slack. Herein the construction is such that I am enabled to impart to the filling-carrier next to be transferred an augmented springpressure sufficient to prevent rotation.

, filling-carrier when inserted in the holder,

and the filling-carrier is held in place in the feeder. The tip-holder next ahead of the one holding the filling-carrier in position to be transferred is of course empty and its spring is acting to force it into normal position with its lugs 4 and 6 against the plate a,;'but the lug 4 of the full holder presses back upon the hook 7 of the empty holder, resisting this tendencyof the latter holder to assume normal position. Consequently the stress of its spring acts through the hook and lug to imcrease or augment the pressure upon the filling-carrier next to be transferred, and it is thereby held from any rotative movement. In other words, the empty holder is held back so that its ear or lug 6 cannot engage and rest against the adjacent portion of the plate a, maintaining its operating-spring under compression. The additional pressure thus exerted by the empty tip-holder is equal to the pressure of the next full tip-holder due to its spring.

Various changes or modifications in details ofconstruction can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, one practical embodiment thereof being herein shown and described.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is'

1. A filling-feeder comprising two connected, circular plates, circularly-arranged means on one of them to sustain the heads of a series of filling-carriers, a series of radiallydisposed and oppositely-located tip-holders movably mounted on the other plate, individual springs for and to operatively position said tip-holders, and means on each tipholder to engage and augment the spring action of the next following holder when the tip of a filling-carrier is operatively support' ed thereby, to thereby prevent rotation of such filling-carrier.

2. A rotatable filling-feeder, having means to sustain the heads of a circularly-arranged series of filling-carriers, a series of springcontrolled tip-holders movably mounted on the feeder, to engage and sustain the tips of the filling-carriers, and means to cause a previously-operative tip-holder to cooperate with the next adjacent operative holder and augment the spring action upon the fillingcarrier engaged thereby.

3. A rotatable filling-feeder, having means to sustain the heads of a circularly-arranged series of filling-carriers, a series of spring controlled tip-holders movably mounted on the feeder, to engage and sustain the tips of the filling-carriers, and a projection on each tip-holder .to extend behind the next following holder, whereby the spring-pressure upon the filling-carrier next to be removed from the feeder will be augmented by cooperation of the adjacent empty tip-holder.

4. A filling-feeder for looms, having means to sustain the heads of a series of filling-carriers, a series of spring-controlled tip-holders movably mounted on the feeder to engage and sustain the tips of the filling-carriers, and means to subject the leading filling-carrier of the series to spring-pressure through a plurality of the tip-holders.

1 5. A filling-feeder for looms, having means to sustain the heads of a series of filling-carriers, a series of spring-controlled tip-holders movably mounted on the feeder to engage and sustain the tips of the filling-carriers, and means to subject the filling-carrier next to be removed from the feeder to spring-pressure through a plurality of tip-holders.

6. A filling-feeder for looms, having means to sustain the heads of a series of filling-carriers, a series of spring-controlled tip-holders movably mounted on the feeder to engage and sustain the tips of the filling-carriers, and means to augment the pressure upon the filling-carrier next to be removed from the feeder by or through spring action of the adjacent empty holder.

7. A rotatable filling-feeder, having means to sustain the heads of a circularly-arranged series of filling-carriers, a series of rocking tip-holders mounted on the feeder opposite said head-sustaining means, a spring to press each holder inward, and means to cause the last empty holder to act upon the next one sustaining a filling-carrier and thereby augment the ressure upon such filling-carrier.

8. A ling-feeder comprising a plate adapted to sustain the heads of a series of bobbins or skewers, a connected plate, and a series of rocking, spring-controlled holders mounted thereonand adapted to receive and hold the tips of bobbins or cop-skewers, each holder having at its outer end, at one side, a guard-shoulder and at the opposite side a lateral ear provided with a groove, the latter directing the filling end from a cop-skewer and the guard-shoulder controlling a bobbin filling end.

9. A filling-feeder comprising a plate adapted to sustain the heads of a series of bobbins or skewers, a connected late, and a series of rocking, spring-contro led holders mounted thereon and adapted to receive and hold the tips of bobbins o1 cop-skewers, each holder having at its outer end, at one side, a guard-shoulder provided with an overhanging, lateral lip, and at its opposite side a lateral ear provided With a groove and a shouldered hook, the hook of one holder passing under and engaging the overhanging lip of the next adjacent holder.

10. A filling-feeder comprising a plate adapted to sustain the heads of a series of bobbins or skewers, a connected plate, and a series of rocking, spring-controlled holders mounted thereon and adapted to receive and hold the tips of bobbins or cop-skewers, each holder having substantially parallel shoulders at its outer end to guide a bobbin filling end, one shoulder having an overhanging outer lip, and a lateral ear projecting beyond the other shoulder and terminating in a hook to engage the lip on the adjacent holder.

11. A filling-feeder comprising a plate adapted to sustain the heads of a series of bobbins or skewers, a connected plate, and a series of rocking, spring-controlled holders mounted thereon and adapted to receive and hold the tips of bobbins or cop-skewers, each holder having separate guiding means for bobbin and cop-skewer filling ends, and a lateral, overhanging lip and a hooked ear, the

' ear of one holder passing under and engaging the lip of the next holder.

12. A filling-feeder comprising a plate adapted to sustain the heads of a series of series? bobbins or skewers, a connected plate, and a series of rocking, spring-controlled holders mounted thereon-andadapted to receive and hold the tips of bobbins or cop-skewers, each holder having at its outer end, at one side, a guard-shoulder to prevent lateral displacement of a filling end, said shoulder having an overhanging lip, and a lateral'ear on the op posite side of the holder terminating in a hook having a shoulder, the hook oneach holder passing under and engaging the lip on the next holder, the hook and lipycooperating to prevent a filling end from being caught between the two holders.

13. A filling-feeder for looms having means to hold a series of filling-carriers by springpressure at one end of the latter, and means to augment the spring-pressure on the fillingcarrier next to be removed from the feeder.

14. Ina filling-feeder adapted to contain a series of filling-carriers which are transferred therefrom one by one to the running-shuttle, spring-acting means to act upon one end of the filling-carriers, the latter being forced into the feeder against the spring-pressure of said means, and means to augment the pressure upon the end of the filling-carrier next to be transferred without increasing the pressure to be overcome when the filling-carriers are inserted in the feeder,

' In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EVERETT S. WOOD.

Witnesses:

GEORGE OTIS DRAPER, ERNEsT W. W001). 

